Well treating apparatus



Dec. 12, 1944.

L. c. CHAMBERLAIN WELL TREATING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1942 INVENTOR. L. C. Chamber/01h A TTQAHE. w

Dec; 12, 1944.

L. c. CHAMBERLAIN WELL TREATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- L. C. Chamberlain A TTOL/Vi v.5

5 Sheets-Shee1g3 INVENTOR. L. C. Chamber/a1 If TI'OL/Vfi YJ' L. .C. CHAMBERLAIN WELL TREATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1942 Dec. 12, 1944.

Dec. 12, 1944. c. CHAMBERLAIN 0 WELL TREATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. g 4 L. C. Chamber/a5}? BY I I g g 7 l Dec. 12, 1944. Q CHAMBERLMN 2,365,052

WELL TREATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR.

L C Chamber/01h 4 770A Ma v.5

I of the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a view'similar to that of Fig. 1 showanother modification of the anchoring device. v Fig. 5 is another view in sectional elevation of Patented Dec. 12, 1944 2,365,052 WELL TREATING APPARATUS Leonard C. Chamberlain; Midland, Mich., assignor to The Dow Chemical Company, Mi

dland,

Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application February 25, 1942, Serial No. 432,184

3 Claims.

The invention relates to adevice usefulfor facilitating the positioning of various tools in a well bore, such as whipstocks, packers, and the like. It more particularly concerns a device adapted to be connected to thevlower end of a packer or the like, said device being longitudinally adjustable while maintaining engagement with the bottom of the well borcso as to allow the packer or other tool to assume the desired position, after which the anchoring device may be locked in such a manner as to support the weight of the tool and a portion of the run-in string thereabove. I

It is sometimes desirable in treatments employing tools such as a packer of the type commonly referred to as an anchor packer which is seated or expanded by allowing the weight of the run-in string to rest on the top of the packer theapparatus of Fig. 4 wherein the various parts of the apparatus have assumed a different relationship.

As shown in Fig. 1 the lower portion I of the well bore has traversed an impervious stratum 2 and ended in a stratum 3 of a productive nature at point 4. The apparatus is shown positioned in the ,well bore by means of the tubing string 5 which is connected to the packer 6 by-means of collar I. The packer comprises upper and lower head members 8 and 9 respectively, which are suitably formed to support and retain the packer rubber B0. A mandrel ll forms a passageway through the packer and is rigidly attached to while the packer is supported about its lower end,

to be able to select the position at which the packer is to be seated after it has been lowered in the well bore or to vary the location of theseal produced by the packer as the treatment progresses.

Itis, therefore, the principal object of the invention to provide a device adapted to be attached to the lower 'end of a well tool, which is capable of longitudinal adjustment in a manner to support the toolatany desired position and any additional weight due to pressure being applied on top of the tool.

Another object of the invention is to provide a longitudinally adjustable locking anchor for. well tools such as packers, whipstocks, and the like. Another object is-to provide a device which is especially suitable for seating an anchor-type packer at various locations as desired.

Still other obiectsand advantages of the invention will be apparent from"the' following the upper packer head 8 while being adapted to slide in lower head member 19. The lower end of the mandrel II is provided with an outwardly. projecting flange l2 which serves to. limit upward travel of the mandrel II as it abuts the shoulder of the lower packer head 9, thus serving to holdthe two packer heads and the packer rubber together and in proper relation. Attached to the lower packer head 9 is swage coupling member I3 which allows the mandrel H to exthe device in the lower portion of a well bore associated with an anchor packer in such a manv ner as to permit seating the packer by means of the new device.

Fig. 21s a sectional elevational view of the same apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with the packer raised and seated at the desired location and the parts ofthe device assuming a diflierent relation.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevatlonal view similar to that of Fig. 1 showing a slightly modified form ing still .the tubular member 11.

tend below the packer lread member as it slides through the packerhead 9. Swage member l3 is attached by means of conventional coupling member or collar H to a perforate section of pipe l5 through which fluid may be ejected into the well bore from the tubing 5 or withdrawn from the well bore and conducted to the surface. The perforate pipe I5 is connected to a tubular ele-'; ment H by means of a second coupling or collar IS. The lower end of the tubular element I1 is provided with an outstanding flange portion l'8 which is adapted to. abut s. voulder l8 on body member 20. A collar member 2| is threadedly connected .to body member 20 and slidably mounted on the tubular memberll. Shear pins 22 detachably connect the collar member 2i to Body member; 20 depending from the collar 2| is formed in such a manner as to provide a downwardly ta ered an I1 and body member 20. Steel or other suitable .balls 24 are adapted to drop in the tapered chamber23 and engage the tubular element I1 and the body member 20 in wedging relation so as to prevent downward movement of tubular element.

movement of element I] relative to body member 20. A tubular element 28 closed about its lower end engages body member 20 and completely surrounds the lower end of tubular element II.

In Fig. 2 the pins 22 have been sheared per- 5 mitting the tubular element l1 and packer 6 to be raised to the desired point for seating, after which allowing the weight of the tubing to rest on the packer has wedged the balls 24 against body member 20 and tubular element l1 and 1 caused the mandrel of the packer to move downwardly thus expanding the rubber against the impervious stratum 2.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the tubular element I! has been replaced by a somewhat similar tubular member 21 having an outstanding flange [8 about its lower end. .Tubular member 21 differs from similar element I! in that it is provided with a section 28 of smaller diameter which is located at a point adjacent the downwardly tapered chamber 23 formed in body member 20--a when the shear pins 22 hold the collar 2| in engagement with member 21. The reduced diameter. section 28 prevents slips 2!! from engaging the tubular element 21 while the slips rest gage the tubular member 21 to prevent down- 30 ward movement thereof relative to body member ill-a.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the perforate pipe I5 is connected by collar l6 to tubular element 3| which is provided with an outstanding flange 32 at its lower end. The flange 32 serves to engage the lower end of sleeve 33 surrounding member 3| and move it upwardly while 9. lug portion 34 adjacent the upper end of tubular element 3| is adapted to engage the upper end of the sleeve 33 and move it downwardly depending upon the relative movement of tubular element 3|. The sleeve 33 isprovided with a packing gland 35 at its lower end which is adapted to hold the sleeve 33 at any position in'lower tubular element 23 unless the flange 32 or lug 34 engage and move the sleeve. In this modification the body member 36 is so formed when the sleeve-member is adjacent the body member balls 24 are pushed out of tapered chamher 23 and rest on shoulder 31 formed in the body member. The upper end of body member 36 is threadedly connected to collar member 33 i so formed as to clear the lug portion 34 ofmember 3| as the lug is lowered into, the body member.

In the view shown in Fig. 5 the sleeve 33 has been engaged by upper lug 34 and moved out of tapered chamber 23 allowing balls ,24 to fallinto tapered recess 23 to provide the necessary wedge0 ing action when tubular element 3| is lowered relative to the body member 36. In general the tubing will be lifted or raised and thus the lug 34 will be moved outof the tapered chamber 23 before the balls are wedged in place and the packer seated.

In the operation of the modification shown in Fig. 1 the apparatus assembled as shown is lowered to the bottom of the well bore by means of the tubing 5. The tubular element 26 is positioned to engage the bottom of the well boreat a point 4 and as additional'weight is allowed to rest on the element 26, consisting of the tubing string 5 or a portion ofit, the pins 22 are caused to shear while the balls 24 topple into N the annular groove 25 as the tubular element l-l moves downwardly. Thereafter the tubing string 5 may be picked up or'raised in the well bore until the packer G is located adjacent the desired stratum such as, for example, impervious stratum 2. Thereafter the tubing 5 is again lowered which operation causes the balls 24 to wedge in the tapered chamber 23 thus providing support for the lower end of packer 6. As additional weight is applied to the top of the packer by means of the tubing 5 the packer rubber is compressed as shown more clearly in Fig. 2 and caused to expand against the well bore walls effecting a seal therewith. Thereafter fluid may be introduced into the tubing 5 and ejected therefrom into the producing stratum 3 if desired or fluid may be withdrawn from stratum 3 and conducted to the surface. The tool is thus especially suitable for acidizing operations or the placement of cement at the desired location. In addition, by changing the location of the perforate pipe I5 to a point .above the packing element 6 the device may. be

' the slips 29 are held out of engagement with the section 28 of tubular element 21 on shoulder 30 of body member 20a. After the pins have been sheared, raising thetubing 5 lifts the packer 3 and th tubular element 21 upwardly and after the desired location is reached allowing the weight of the tubing and the packer to, rest on the tubular element 21 causes the slips 23 to engage the thicker walls of element 21. Thus the lower end of the packer 3 is supported and, as additional weight is brought to rest on the top of the packer, the packer rubber I0 is caused to distend and effect a seal with the bore wall adjacent stratum 2. It will be evident that the shear pins 22 will be chosen-of such strength as to support the tool without causing the packer to seat as the necessary weight is applied to cause shearing of the pins.

In the modifications shown in Figs.- 1 and 3.

once the shear pins have been broken and the bore and replacing the shear pins.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 there is provided means whereby the packer may be seated at various locations upwardly in the well and thereafter the packer may be returned to its lowermost position and reseated throughout the rangeof the anchoring tool without withdrawing the tool from the well bore. This operation is made possible by the fact that the sleeve 33 can b positioned so as to displace the wedglng balls 24 from the tapered chamber 23 when the tubing is raised to a point where lugs or'flange 32 push the sleeve upward. Thereafter as the tubular element 26 is allowed to engage the bottom of the well bore lowering the tubing 5 and packer l allows the tubular element 3| to move downwardly to the fullest extent of its downward travel. During the latter part of such movement lug 34 4 her 23.

will have engaged the sleeve 33 and moved it down so that balls 24 can fall into tapered cham- Thereafter the balls 24 are then ready to lock tubular element 3| relative to tubular element 26 at any point of their telescoping travel. For exampl lifting on the tubing then lifts the tubular element 3| while the sleeve 33 is retained at the lower end of the tubular element 29 due to the frictional action of the packing gland 35 holding against the walls of the tubular element 26. Thereafter the balls 24 will wedge and support the lower end of the packer as the weight of the tubing string is caused to rest on the top of the packer. Thus if at any time it is desired to seat the packer at a lower location in the well bore, it is only necessary to raise the tubing string to a point where the lugs 32 on tubular element 3| pick up the sleeve 33 and moves it upwardly to displace the balls 24 from the tapered chamber 23. When the sleeve has accomplished this result the tool may be again lowered to its lowest position and seated at any point within the range of the apparatus.

It will be evident that more than one of any of the anchoring devices shown may be used in combination, in which case the second anchoring device might be adapted to telescope over and coope ate with member 26, the latter element being modified to serve the purpose of tubular elements H, 21, and 3| of the various modifications. In such a structure it would be necessary to add an additional tubular member to serve the present purpose of member 26. By such an arrangement the device could be made to have the shortest possible length in a collapsed form and the greatest possible length in the extended form.

In the foregoing manner packers of the anchor type and many other tools can belpositioned at various locations in the well bore as desired after they have been lowered into the well bore or as the results of a treatment indicate that the position may be desirably varied.

for use in well bores th combination which includes upper and lower rigid tubular members in telescoping engagement, shearable means holding the lower member against telescopic movement relative to the upper member, locking means associated with the telescoping members adapted to lock the upper tubular member against downward movement relative to the upper tubular member after the shearable means has been sheared.

2. In a longitudinally adjustable anchor device for use in wells the combination which includes upper and lower tubular members in telescoping engagement, means to lock the upper tubular member against downward movement relative to the lower tubular member while permitting the upper tubular member to move upwardly, and means for disengaging said locking means when said tubular members are in extended telescopic relationship.

3. In a longitudinally adjustable anchor device for use in well bores the combination which includes an upper tubular member and a lower tubular member, said members being in telescoping engagement, a body member attached to the 'outer of said tubular members, a shear pin holding the body member to the inner telescoping 

